ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar, confirmed on Friday that more than six countries have formally expressed interest in joining the Makkah Joint Defence Agreement.
Addressing a press briefing in Islamabad, Dar emphasized the purely defensive nature of the trilateral alliance formed between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Türkiye.
More than six nations are seeking membership in the newly formed Makkah Defence Alliance. Official entry of new members will be processed once operational frameworks are fully finalized.
Modeled after NATO’s Article 5 collective security clause, the pact establishes that an armed attack against any signatory state will be treated as an attack on all three. Dar reiterated that the alliance is not designed for offensive operations against any nation.
Also Read:Makkah Defence Pact Is Defensive, Not Directed Against Any Country: DG ISPR
The pact’s permanent headquarters will be established in Saudi Arabia. Pakistan has nominated retired Lieutenant General Nauman Mahmood to serve as the alliance’s first Secretary General.
A meeting of the alliance’s Strategic Political Defence Committee (SPDC)—comprising foreign ministers, defense ministers, and military chiefs—will convene in Riyadh next week to evaluate regional security following recent attacks targeted at Saudi Arabia.
